Travel Hacks for 2014

Westhill Consulting Travel and Tours

Travel Hacks for 2014

Mile-high bargains

Check the airline’s website to its foreign-language website, it could have a potentially cheaper ticket there. Use Google Chrome’s translation feature and make sure your credit card has a low international-transaction fee prior to making a deal. Who knows you might be in luck so always do so. Check if there is a sale in the region.

Use soap to soothe an insect bite

Just rub a bar of soap in the insect bite, you can use what’s available, hotels usually has soaps in their bath, and leave it dry. This will save you time and money going to the pharmacy to buy some relief for the bite.

Cancel your booking without paying for it

If you miss the cancellation window for your hotel or rental car booking don’t worry because you can still change the reservation date for free. Here is what you should do, move the reservation several weeks or months ahead, then call back and speak to a different person to attempt to cancel it.

Venting can be good

A sick seatmate on the plane can be bad, you might get sick as well so if you are worried about germs on planes, experts suggest that aiming your air vent in front of your face can deflect any circulating germs away from you.

Save on phone bills

You can save on phone bills using apps like Skype or Facebook’s Video Calling, just the WIFI will do. Both have unlimited calling while you can use WhatsApp and Kik to text with loved ones back home for free.

Be more supportive

Some airline seats are uncomfortable because they do not have lumber support; this makes passengers back and neck sore. Here is what you can do, put a blanket or rolled up piece of clothing behind you so your back can maintain its natural curve. And for the armrests, drape a folded scarf over it to boost the comfort factor.

Just roll with it

Use an expandable bag rather than bringing multiple suitcases, or running out of room to pack all your items after a huge shopping spree overseas

Pack like a pro

Organize your clothes well and save them from getting crumple in your bag by using packing folders or you can roll your clothes instead of folding. You can also zip it up and reopen it and you’ll often find more room has emerged in the corners.

Think outside the box

You can go and check out some site like HomeAway.com, they have a list of ranges of properties you can rent for your holiday, and most importantly they are usually cheaper than hotels. And it is negotiable! You can negotiate the price and length of stay when renting these types of properties.

Use Vaseline to remove makeup

Petroleum jelly can work as a make-up remover. But avoid getting it in your eyes.

Use a pillowcase for your dirty clothes

Pillow cases can be practical for separating your dirty clothes from the clean ones and are also useful to wrap delicate souvenirs collected during your trip.

Remove lint with your bag tag

Get rid of that fluff, or animal hair, by removing the baggage tracking sticker placed on your suitcase.

Timing is everything

Tuesday and Wednesday are usually the least expensive days to fly because most people tend to take to the skies on Friday and fly back home on Sunday making air travel more expensive on these days.

Airlines also tend to pull discounted airfares in advance of the weekend.

What’s more, never buy airline tickets earlier than three-and-a-half months before departure, and be warned that prices can go up radically within two weeks of the scheduled flight.

The early bird gets the worm

According to deal websiteFarecompare.com, the first flight out in the morning is usually the cheapest. You’re also usually more likely to avoid the worst delays, because airlines are starting with a clean slate.